Dining allocation

[oldman40]

It would be going back about 5 years and you should have seen the moans then as prices changed on a daily, or even hourly, basis.

 

Sorry was not aware of the discontent then although cruising at the same time. I only started in 2001 so have much less experience of fare structures than many on here. Have always been happy to pay the going rate when I booked (whether early or late booking) and never worried that others may obtain a lower price and still receive the same benefits.

[asda]

Hi. On the bigger ships Azura and ventura were they offer more freedom dining places has everyone who requested freedom dining managed to be allocated it. (select and early savers)

[BrianI]

Azura has only one freedom restaurant out of three. Ventura has two. So you have a better chance of freedom on Ventura.

Brian

[kevinyork]

Perhaps one price without a name could be used, this being adjusted up or down depending on how the cabins are selling. Treat all px the same without petty restrictions, but with any upgrades/dining choice etc. being offered on a strict first come first served basis. Would this be too simplistic or too difficulty to implement?

 

 

Now that sounds remarkably like the P&O fare structure from a couple of years back before the Vantage Fare travesty. Its also what the US cruise lines do.

 

Unfortunately companies rarely admit defeat and reverse decisions.

 

 

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[molecrochip]

Boarded Ventura yesterday on a saver fare. Was offered a table allocation we were not keen on. Joined the queue to discuss with restaurant manager. Our request was noted and we later got a confirmation of our new allocation. Manager said that they are not told passengers fare types and where they can, they just look to give people what they would like. Ventura is far from full so very possible but on a full cruise less possible.

 

 

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[tjwa]

Thanks for the information.

[majortom10]

It would be going back about 5 years and you should have seen the moans then as prices changed on a daily, or even hourly, basis.

 

Prices are still changing daily and even on an hourly basis a cruise I have been looking at this week went up from £599 to £649 then to £699 then to £729 and has now gone down again to £649 all in 3 days.

Edited May 8, 2014 by shilly3191

[Sealoveragain]

Boarded Ventura yesterday on a saver fare. Was offered a table allocation we were not keen on. Joined the queue to discuss with restaurant manager. Our request was noted and we later got a confirmation of our new allocation. Manager said that they are not told passengers fare types and where they can, they just look to give people what they would like. Ventura is far from full so very possible but on a full cruise less possible.

 

 

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I can assure you the Restaurant Manager on our cruise obviously did. I am not in the habit of fabricating the facts. It may not sit comfortably with people but we overheard exactly what I posted.

[the english lady]

Having returned from Arcadia now I think the reason they are bringing in freedom dining across the fleet is so that people will be given that either as a request (select fare) or saver fare (so the person can dine when they wish)

Have to say on our 2nd part of the b2b (which was a 9 day cruise) some freedom diners when we saw them going to dinner/returning did not seem to be sticking to the dress code-even on formal nights (short sleeved shirts etc for the men-no suit/jacket.) ,not even an attempt to adhere. I can only assume they were allowed access to the mdr.

[babs135]

Extremely interesting thread. We've just booked our first ever P&O cruise on the Oriana and paid the 'saver price'. We sail in 6 weeks time and consider ourselves very fortunate to be in a position to be able to afford to cruise. Yes, it would be nice to have our choice of dining, 2nd sitting, but if we end up on early I won't complain - I'll just have post-dinner drinking time rather than pre- :)

 

Why did we leave it until 6 weeks before sailing? Simple, circumstances dictate the decision. We have booked much earlier, eg we're off to New York in December on the QM2 and booked the crossing (!) in March. It's a long time from March to December (is that a song?!) and when the cruise on the Oriana 'dropped' into my in-box we felt it was a good price at this present time.

 

I'm more concerned with reviews of the ship, and yes, I did do research before actually booking and they are mixed, but like with paying select or saver prices, the itinerary is the one that appeals, not whether I'm first or second sitting for dining. At the end of the day, so long as they have the ability to feed me I will be happy.

 

With regards to upgrades, again, if we get one I'll be thrilled, if we don't then I will have got what we usually do - an inside cabin. We did get an upgrade on a recent NCL cruise. We'd booked a guaranteed inside and were allocated an oceanview, but we were just lucky and as I've said, we usually book an inside cabin anyway. I'm just happy to be on a ship :D

 

 

PS: don't want to take this thread off subject, but any comments on the Oriana would be of interest.

[asda]

To bab123.

Hi I think you will still get an inside cabin but of what grade no one knows. The select fare passengers choose there cabin numbers and are first to be upgraded if they were available and wanted, then the early saver get second priority for upgrades. Then the savers.

 

I have been really studying this since it began. It seems that he savers are being offered the higher grades in the cabin style they booked. Not many have been offered a proper upgrade ( inside to out. Or out to balcony)

 

We booked early saver received a cabin number but just had it upgraded to a higher grade but still a inside.

 

If we had booked today we could have had 2 balcony cabins instead of 1 inside cabin for 4. But never mind.

 

Good luck. Let us know what you get and enjoy.

[Hasthagotnowtmoist]

If anyone books cruises at brochure prices they are either stupid or have too much money. Can't understand why anyone who gets better value should be frowned up.

 

It's like P&O have sat down & literally thought of EVERYTHING to make the select fare (which are often ridiculously overpriced) seem like a far better proposition.

 

If someone is willing to pay double to ensure they can get the table they want on the MDR & look down on those who haven't they are welcome to do so.

[Hasthagotnowtmoist]

Enough to offset some of that subsidy I am giving to those saver passengers.

 

Bigger fool you. What a bad attitude.

[tjwa]

If anyone books cruises at brochure prices they are either stupid or have too much money. Can't understand why anyone who gets better value should be frowned up.

 

It's like P&O have sat down & literally thought of EVERYTHING to make the select fare (which are often ridiculously overpriced) seem like a far better proposition.

 

If someone is willing to pay double to ensure they can get the table they want on the MDR & look down on those who haven't they are welcome to do so.

 

Superb:)

[the english lady]

Can I ask why people keep on repeating that select fares are over priced.

We went down the seriously fluid pricing path a few years back, and basically you had no idea of what the price would be-until you were actually booking it, and if you had a lot of people looking (not booking) at a cruise ,that would affect the price as well.

A discussion held on here a couple of years ago sort of agreed (as much as you can on a forum!) that approx. £100 pppd was about the right price for a cruise, looking at August sailings insides are coming in at roundabout that.

You have all you food included.

A ship with a majority of Saver fare bookings is not a good business plan. You would not get a decent hotel room for much less than £100 pppn, and that does not include food (I know my definition of decent may be different than others).

I am not brain dead (and that is a terrible thing to say ) or have more money than sense.

I know in a hotel I do not have much choice of where a room would be, but on a ship there are a lot more things that may effect a cabin (above a theatre being one) , had it once, would never want it again. Or beneath pool area. Or the white spaces onboard-and we know what they might be.

It seems that the majority of complaining seems to be coming from saver fare buyers, moaning about what they are not getting.

Before this I could have paid a hefty price, only for someone to be upgraded in front of me, who had paid a much cheaper fare...and if a vantage fare payer dare complain..you were happy with the price when you booked it, so don't complain now.

I have a choice if I was booking a plane seat...I can purchase economy, premium economy, business, or first class. each have their own little add ons. Do I in economy say I want a very large lay down seat all to myself. No because I know you don't get them.

P and O are trying their best. If you are not happy, then please do try other ships/companies. Nobody is saying you HAVE to book saver fares on P and O.

If you want to complain use your feet, but also along the way ask those who can change things why bookings t and c on American lines are soo good ,compared to British ones. That would not be down to P and O, that would be the law.

rant over-I will just sit and wait until my next cruise-select fare ..see if anyone complains on the shuttle buses again about what they are having to pay for it.

[Scriv]

Well said, english lady.

Edited May 16, 2014 by Scriv

[dgs1956]

Yes! Well said English Lady and not aggressive or insulting either.

David

[Sanjam cruisers]

Hi English Lady

Could not have put it better myself, it would appear that now the saver fare payer pays less the more they moan.

[Bronte30]

I wish I could pay a saver fare. I have to book an adapted cabin, so always have to pay the select fare.

 

 

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[sagaris]

Can I ask why people keep on repeating that select fares are over priced.

We went down the seriously fluid pricing path a few years back, and basically you had no idea of what the price would be-until you were actually booking it, and if you had a lot of people looking (not booking) at a cruise ,that would affect the price as well.

A discussion held on here a couple of years ago sort of agreed (as much as you can on a forum!) that approx. £100 pppd was about the right price for a cruise, looking at August sailings insides are coming in at roundabout that.

You have all you food included.

A ship with a majority of Saver fare bookings is not a good business plan. You would not get a decent hotel room for much less than £100 pppn, and that does not include food (I know my definition of decent may be different than others).

I am not brain dead (and that is a terrible thing to say ) or have more money than sense.

I know in a hotel I do not have much choice of where a room would be, but on a ship there are a lot more things that may effect a cabin (above a theatre being one) , had it once, would never want it again. Or beneath pool area. Or the white spaces onboard-and we know what they might be.

It seems that the majority of complaining seems to be coming from saver fare buyers, moaning about what they are not getting.

Before this I could have paid a hefty price, only for someone to be upgraded in front of me, who had paid a much cheaper fare...and if a vantage fare payer dare complain..you were happy with the price when you booked it, so don't complain now.

I have a choice if I was booking a plane seat...I can purchase economy, premium economy, business, or first class. each have their own little add ons. Do I in economy say I want a very large lay down seat all to myself. No because I know you don't get them.

P and O are trying their best. If you are not happy, then please do try other ships/companies. Nobody is saying you HAVE to book saver fares on P and O.

If you want to complain use your feet, but also along the way ask those who can change things why bookings t and c on American lines are soo good ,compared to British ones. That would not be down to P and O, that would be the law.

rant over-I will just sit and wait until my next cruise-select fare ..see if anyone complains on the shuttle buses again about what they are having to pay for it.

 

Hear, hear, absolutely spot on:)

[babs135]

Having read everything that has been written, perhaps P&O should rethink their pricing policy again? As a newbie to P&O I was aware of their price structure, but when I saw the price for the cruise we've booked I (naively?) assumed the price drop was across all prices. It was only half way through booking did the travel agent point out it was a Saver Price and we wouldn't get our dining choice, etc, etc. It doesn't bother us when we eat or where we sleep or even having to pay for the ship shuttles.

 

Again, why did we book late - circumstances dictated no earlier decison could be made. Should people 'look down' on us because we've got the same cruise as them but at a better price? No, if it bothers them, it's their problem not mine. They don't know my circumstances. Should we 'savers' moan about the perceived inconveniences - NO, we should accept the decision we made to book late.

 

BTW, on a previous cruise we had paid an excellent price only for it to drop £100 pp a week before we were due to pay the balance. We asked our TA if we could have onboard credit in lieu of this, they simply laughed. A couple of weeks later the price dropped a further £200 pp! I was more cross with the agent who wouldn't give us any OBC than with those people who had booked late. The original price was a ridiculous one anyway and we were more than happy with it.

[Sealoveragain]

While I certainly don't look down on anyone who pays the cheaper fare. We have to book early because of our circumstances and I do find it annoying that those who book the later, cheaper fare are most indignant when they cannot have everything they want as well. :rolleyes:

[heywood]

If anyone books cruises at brochure prices they are either stupid or have too much money. Can't understand why anyone who gets better value should be frowned up.

 

It's like P&O have sat down & literally thought of EVERYTHING to make the select fare (which are often ridiculously overpriced) seem like a far better proposition.

 

If someone is willing to pay double to ensure they can get the table they want on the MDR & look down on those who haven't they are welcome to do so.

 

I don't think anyone is looking down on anyone else for the price they pay but you are very insulting to people who are paying for accommodation and dining arrangements that suit them.

The English lady has summed it up so well.

[Sealoveragain]

Yes, I meant to say English Lady has certainly summed it all up for me.:D

[Sealoveragain]

Yes. I did mean to say English Lady summed it up for me too.:D